


By the Book

by Spring_Emerald



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, KuroDai Secret Santa 2018, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-27 04:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17155616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spring_Emerald/pseuds/Spring_Emerald
Summary: To think that just yesterday, Daichi's a stickler to the rules, a Head Book Keeper, with his future mapped out for him, and just needs to consult his Book. Now… now he’s a runaway, a mistaken outlaw travelling with a real,actualone, uncertain of what the next moment would bring and unsure about how this will affect his course of his whole life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [basilsprout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/basilsprout/gifts).



> **Hello, Pau!** I'm your Secret Santa and I'm so happy to be gifting this one to you! <3
> 
> First of, I'm sorry if it's incomplete (at the moment, I promise I will have the next chapter/s up soon, so hang in there) but I hope you'll take this humble offering for the meantime. I didn't want to rush it, but I also didn't want to keep you waiting (at least not completely... just partially waiting if that's alright). Thank you so much for your patience and understanding!
> 
> And Happy Holidays!!! I hope you are having a good one! Thank you for sharing your works with us, for us to enjoy and know that your efforts and hard work are very much appreciated. I'm so happy to be a shipmate of yours, and I'm looking forward to creating more content alongside you. Stay awesome! 
> 
> \-----
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** This story is heavily inspired by [this wonderful prompt](https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/458369/6/idea-adoption-agency-writing-ideas-prompts-promptshop-ideashop), tweaked a bit to suit the plot I have. I ain't have the brains to come up with this, and I'm really thankful to have chanced upon this prompt.

Daichi stops in front of barred room, looking into the dimly lit cell and pointedly stares at the shadowed figure lounging on the single bed attached to the wall.

“I know you’re awake,” he says after a few minutes of silence from the occupant of the cell.

There’s a light chuckle before the shadowed figure moves to sit up. “You know me too well,” the man drawls, earning an eye roll from Daichi.

“Come here. I need to speak to you.”

With a sigh, the man gets up and shuffles indolently towards the bars, where the lights on the hallway illuminates his face, a smirk already in place.

“Did you miss seeing my face, Sawamura?” The man’s tone is playful, but the glint in his eyes spells otherwise.

“It looks especially good behind bars, Kuroo,” Daichi replies with a fake smile that got wider when Kuroo drops the smirk and narrows his eyes at him.

“What do you want?” Kuroo’s voice takes a hardened edge.

Daichi drops the friendly façade as well, adopting a serious demeanor. “Someone broke into the Athenaeum last night and stole a few volumes of the Compendium from the Vault. Do you know anything about it?” He asks, getting straight to the crux of the matter.

Kuroo raises a brow at the information. “Someone broke into the Athenaeum? Again?” He whistles, clearly in admiration of the feat.

“Do you know anything about it?” Daichi asks again, through gritted teeth, keeping his anger at bay.

“I’m sure you haven’t failed to notice, but I’m currently locked up at the moment. I’m touched though, that you think I’m capable of running heists while imprisoned.” Kuroo says, putting a hand above his heart and bowing a little smugly, which earned him a glare from Daichi.

Kuroo huffs. “I don’t know anything. But if I ever get a chance to meet them, whoever they were, I’d like to shake their hand and congratulate them on _successfully_ one upping you lot.”

“Your group isn’t behind this?” Daichi asks, suspicious, trying to gauge Kuroo’s expression for a hint that his lying.

Kuroo scoffs. “My group aims for aspirations higher than that. Why steal books about history when you can steal a book of life?”

Daichi hums. “Why indeed. Though I feel the need to remind you that you also failed on stealing a book of life.”

“I only failed because they were wrong about you.”

Daichi only looks at him with a bit of pity, but soon shakes his head. “Well, it seems that you really don’t know anything about it, surprisingly. But once I learn that your group is actually behind this, you might be sharing this cell with a few of your members.” He steps back just as Kuroo snarls viciously at him at the mention of threat to his group members. “Until then, enjoy your stay.”

Daichi tips his head in a small nod to the guard nearby.

Kuroo just rattles the bars of his cell in response, but Daichi’s already walking away without looking back.

 

\-----

 

When a person is born, their soul is linked to a book that details their life from the day they were born up to the day that they die. Any change in the book will result to a change in their life’s path and a book’s destruction will cause the death of the person that owns it.

A few centuries ago, the books used to be entrusted to the person for safekeeping, as it is meant to be one’s guide through life. But due to human greed and dissatisfaction, some people decidedly altered, going as far as against the prescribed events in their book of life, some to gather more riches, some to extend one’s life, but ultimately fostering chaos and creating imbalance among the people.

It is when the collective governments ruled about keeping the Books in one place to avoid all of that and restore fairness, peace and order and those people that did not support this edict, while not treated as enemies of the state and will not be actively pursued by the Guardians, they were considered outlaws and were forced out of their respective districts to fend for themselves. Such is the price they pay for their supposed freedom.

Hence, the law criminalizing Alteration and the establishment of the Athenaeum.

The Athenaeum is the proud and large six story, distinctly domed building, lined with marble pillars and tall windows, with a vast underground Vault, located at the heart of the central district-Shiratorizawa. It houses the citizens’ books of life, both alive and dead. As designated by the book, there are people from different districts that were given jobs as Book Keepers, tasked to keep the books safe and to relay the prescribed activity to the respective citizens of their district.

Sawamura Daichi is the Head Book Keeper for the district of Karasuno. And like the other Keepers, he has a case on his hands.

The resurgence of Outlaws had been happening for over a few years now, and only few of them have been caught so far. One of them is Kuroo Tetsurou, the infamous leader of the Resistance, a group of Outlaws actively rebelling against the Government regarding the keeping of the books in the Athenaeum and letting it dictate the people’s life, going as far as propagating lies about its nature. People know better than to believe them, but that doesn’t seem to deter them. They tried to be aggressive though.

Daichi met Kuroo when he was caught in an attempt to steal Daichi’s book of life, perhaps to try and alter it, but he was thwarted by Daichi himself, who had been working late that night and was promptly turned over to the Guardians. His group laid low after he was caught, and things were normal. At least, until last night, when some of the Compendiums were stolen.

Compendiums are not as significant as the Books and are stored in the Vault along with the books of the dead, but they are kept as compilations of significant happenings throughout the course of history. In time of peace and order, and people living harmoniously, the only entries are about the ruling government and their achievements thus far.

However, the missing volumes, as what Shimizu had told him, are the earliest ones, particularly from the time before peace was restored, detailing the significant events when Books are still personal possessions. Therein lies the complication as Archivists and Keepers alike have reasons to believe that Outlaws probably stole them to gather information to aid their wayward cause.

“Any luck?” Sugawara’s up from his seat, even before Daichi can fully enter the Hall, where the rest of the Karasuno Book Keepers are waiting for him to hear the results of his investigation.

Daichi shakes his head, taking off his long coat, depositing it in the back of a chair. “He said he doesn’t know anything about it.”

“And we’re gonna believe him? Just like that?” Tanaka asks, visibly dismayed.

“He’s been imprisoned for a few months now. There are no visitors in his log.” Daichi replies. It would be a mistake to do so, after all, since any association with a known outlaw is enough grounds to be detained as well until thoroughly proven to be innocent.

“So what are we going to do?” Asahi worriedly looks around at his fellow Keepers.

“Our jobs,” Daichi answers decisively. “Security’s been tight since the incident, and while the Guardians are doing their best to find the culprit or culprits, we run things as normally as we should as well.”

Little did Daichi know that that is easier said than done.

 

\-----

 

“-ichi! Daichi!” Daichi huffs and groans as he slowly registers the sensation of being shaken.

“Daichi, wake up!” He opens his eyes, blinking until the dimly illuminated face of Takeda comes into focus.

“…Sensei. Wha’s wrong?”

Takeda doesn’t answer him, but pushes something hard against his chest instead and throws clothes and a heavy cloak on top of him. “You have to hurry!” Takeda says with alarming urgency.

Daichi blinks the confusion out some more before looking down, and fishing the hard object, coming out with a familiar book. “Sensei, what’s happening?” He’s awake and alert now, looking around the room for potential danger. “Why did you bring my book?” The Books are meant to be kept in the Athenaeum and under no circumstances can they be taken and brought out.

Takeda turns to him, away from packing a satchel on the writing desk. “You need to leave, Daichi. It’s not safe for you to stay here.”

“Why?”

“I heard that the Guardians are coming to arrest you.” Daichi recoils in disbelief in that, until Takeda continues. “They think you stole the Compendiums.”

Daichi stiffens, stands frozen as white-noise pass through his ears, Takeda’s words repeats inside his head, then he snaps and straightens, eyes wide. “Wh-What?! Bu-but I didn’t! Sensei _, I didn’t_! Why would I do that? How did they think that?”

He’s done everything to be a model citizen, following orders and doing his job as Head Book Keeper seriously and religiously, setting an example to his fellow Keepers and their Scholars, basically living life by the book. Surely the Guardians know this. Why would they suddenly think that he’s going to turn and side with the Outlaws?

Takeda steps in front of him and grasps his shoulders. “I know, Daichi. I know. But they’re set on arresting you.”

“But why?!” He’s done nothing wrong.

“You visited Kuroo in the wake of the disappearance of the Compendiums. They seem to take it as circumstantial evidence of you working with him.”

Daichi feels like a bucket of frozen water was dumped on him, his earlier words come to mind, as if mocking him. He curses. “But I’m not! I was investigating! I wanted to know if he knows anything! If his group had anything to do with it!”

“Daichi, I know. I know you wouldn’t do that, but they don’t. A guard heard your conversation with Kuroo and whatever Kuroo told you, they find very incriminating.”

Daichi rapidly leafs through the memories of his encounter with Kuroo yesterday, and groans cursing Kuroo in his head when he remembers the bit about mentioning his failure and pinning the blame on Daichi.

“I can explain it to the Guardians, sensei. I’m sure they’ll believe me.” Running away is just… wrong, especially since he knows that he’s done nothing wrong and he’s not afraid to stand for the truth. He can prove his innocence.

“They will need the Compendiums back, Daichi. That’s the only way you can prove your innocence. Until those are back, you’ll be detained. We don’t know how long that will take.” The worry in Takeda’s eyes, in his whole being culminating in his shaking hands. Daichi’s seen his mentor be anxious about the smallest of things before, but it’s never like this, and never has anything to do with Daichi, _for_ Daichi. But at the moment it’s so potent that Daichi swallows in fear of what’s in store for him if he stays.

“But… but this isn’t in my book. And the others, I can’t just-”

“Daichi, please! I’ll take care of the others, but you need to leave. They could be here any moment.”

Daichi doesn’t waste time changing into the deep brown tunic and khaki trousers, and cloak and well-worn boots, a garb simpler and inconspicuous than the distinct Keeper uniform of dress shirt and vest and slacks he wears to work, hastily pushing his book inside the satchel Takeda’s insistently pushing into him and clutching it close like a lifeline.

“Where will I go sensei?”

“Anywhere but here, Daichi. And not your district, that’s the first place they’re going to look. Get as far as you can! To another district, anywhere.” Daichi nods hastily, grabbing Takeda’s hand and squeezing it, a last ditch effort to get some comfort. He steps out and looks around the surroundings.

“Daichi,” he looks back at Takeda. “Keep your book with you at all times, alright? And stay safe.”

Daichi nods, slinging the satchel across his body and pulls the hood of the cloak over his head. He takes a deep breath and runs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I know I tagged it as two chapters at most, but things happened and so here we are. Hopefully, I can really keep it to three. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

As shameful as it is to admit, Daichi runs aimlessly for the first few minutes, before he thought better than to run in plain sight, opting to pass through narrow alleys and shadowed pathways, trying to outrun phantom guards and being paranoid at every little movement in the surroundings that he’s sure didn’t come from him. He reaches the forest like this and only when he thinks he’s safely hidden among the tall grass and thick trunks did he allow himself to breathe and reflect on his situation.

He leans back on a tree, catching his breath and wipes an arm across his drenched forehead. It’s still bothering him that he has to run away from an offense he didn’t do. There’s something nagging in his head that there’s something wrong about this, but if Takeda thinks he’s in trouble, then he must really be. But what is he supposed to do then? And is this what the book wanted him to do in the first place? Is this part of his life?

He blinks, gaining a little clarity. The book! Of course. He looks around the dense forestry, trying to find a clear spot where the light of the moon shines through the canopies of leaves. He’s in luck that there’s one nearby and he makes his way there, already taking the satchel off. Just as he’s about to get his book, he hears a noise, hurried footsteps from the sound of it, and worse, it’s getting closer.

Daichi grits his teeth, pushing the book deeper into his satchel and makes another run for it, stepping into the darker parts, his sole goal is to create as much distance as he can from whoever they were. He turns to look behind him to check, but it proved to be a mistake as he bumps into something hard and the collision caused him to fall back on his behind with a loud thump and a pained groan.

One that is similarly echoed by what, or rather _who_ , he crashed into.

Daichi sits up and inches away, squinting his eyes at the person until his eyes adjust in the darkness, noticing the shifting movement and makes out a familiar outline of ridiculously messy hair and an even more familiar person.

“ _You_!” Daichi gasps, doesn’t think twice and throws himself into the person, pushing him further into the ground.

Kuroo groans and looks at him with a glare that slightly eased into annoyance upon recognizing who it is. “We really need to stop meeting in the dark like this, Sawamura.”

Daichi fists the front of his cloak and pulls him up harshly. “This is _all your fault_!” He says through gritted teeth, glaring a hole into Kuroo’s head.

“If it weren’t for what you said, the guards wouldn’t have misunderstood. Then _I_ would still be back in my bed and _you_ -” Daichi stops abruptly, jolted by the fact that Kuroo is here and not inside his cell. His eyes widen at the realization. “You… _YOU ESCAPED_?!”

Kuroo basks smugly for a few seconds in Daichi’s moment of incredulity, sending him a small quick smirk, before taking advantage of it and quickly rolls them over, successfully flipping their positions. He nimbly avoids a swinging arm, then grabs it and pins it to the ground above Daichi’s head.

Daichi tries to struggle, but Kuroo’s heavy weight and legs clamping on his sides keeps him down.

“While I’m impressed by your astute display of observation, I really need to be going now, Sawamura.”

“You’re not getting away with this!”

Before someone can get away though, they hear rustling and shouting, more footsteps being carried through the breeze and they both freeze, looking wildly and panicked at each other, no one daring to make a move or any sound.

Kuroo surprises Daichi by soundlessly lying fully down on him, a hand covering his mouth before he can even complain. This close, Daichi can hear Kuroo’s breathing, fanning against his ears, making him shiver from the contact; smell the scent of Kuroo’s cloak, mingling with the damp earth, and even feel his sweat drop into Daichi’s neck, but he doesn’t have time to worry about it, not when he sees light sweep above them and watch with wide eyes and bated breath as it pass over where they are.

Another footstep and Daichi’s sure they’re going to be caught but something rustles yet again on the other side and the guard abandons them to give chase.

It’s only when no sound come close to their way did Daichi release the air he’s holding in a shaky breath, allowing himself to relax for a moment, before remembering their positions. With a strength fueled by indignation and embarrassment, he pushes Kuroo and successfully gets the taller man off of him and scrambles backward to a sitting position.

Kuroo smiles deviously at Daichi. “Well, that was close,” he remarks flippantly, earning a glare from Daichi because the double meaning isn’t lost to him. He stands up and pats the dirt off his cloak and pants.

“If you’re ready, we need to go,” Kuroo thumbs to the direction behind him.

“What makes you think I’m going anywhere with you?”

Kuroo raises his eyebrows at Daichi at the mature display of attitude and shrugs. “Have it your way then. Good luck on navigating the forest and not getting caught!” He gives a mock salute then turns and walks away from Daichi.

Daichi stares at his back, mouth open at the audacity, before feeling a distinct sense of fear that pushed him to call out. “Wait!”

Kuroo stops and languidly turns his head to look back at him.

Biting down on his lips, Daichi exclaims a heartfelt ‘screw it’ inside his head, and quickly stands and hurries to Kuroo, slowing down as he nears and stops a few steps away in front of the outlaw.

“Just so we’re clear,” Daichi says, meeting Kuroo’s eyes seriously, “I’m not coming with you because I want to. I just don’t have a choice.”

Kuroo gives him a meaningful look and scoffs. “Typical Keepers. Spouting words like ‘want’ and ‘choice’, as if you know what it _really_ means; as if you have any idea what it’s like to have one and live by it. Let me tell you now, you’re wrong.”

Daichi frowns at him.

“You always have a choice,” he continues. “Always _had_ the freedom to choose. And right now, you’re choosing to come with me, instead of going back or staying here. You made that decision, so don’t tell me that you don’t have a choice, because right now, you are living it.” Kuroo relaxes and asks, “So tell me, how does freedom feel?”

Daichi squarely meets his eyes. “If this is freedom, then I don’t want it. I don’t want this fear, this _wrongness_. It doesn’t feel much, when you’re considered a criminal.”

“It’s still better than following a passage from a book and letting it dictate your life.”

It’s Daichi’s turn to scoff, shaking his head. He’s not going to discuss this with Kuroo right now. “Look, let’s just agree to disagree and leave now.”

Kuroo stares at him, seemingly looking for something and Daichi wonders what it is, but he probably finds none because he just shrugs a shoulder and continues to walk, brushing past Daichi’s shoulders and leads them to a place unknown.

 

\-----

 

“Say,” Kuroo starts, a few long minutes into resting. “I’ve been meaning to ask, but what’s a law-abiding citizen like you doing in the forest and running away from the guards?” Apparently, he can’t not have something to fiddle with, and have picked up a thin branch, pulling it back, repeatedly letting it spring back and forth. He also has the annoying inability to keep silent.

“None of your business.”

“It kind of is, since you were blaming me.” He poorly imitates Daichi’s voice and the way he was seething earlier. “So, what gives?” 

Daichi grinds his teeth, an action he seems to be doing a lot around Kuroo to quell the anger but it only did so much. “What gives is that I’m wrongly accused of stealing the Compendiums, just because I visited you to investigate. They took what you said as evidence linking me to the Resistance.”

Kuroo sobers upon hearing that. “Oh.” Daichi’s consolation is that he has the decency to look a little guilty.

“I _clearly_ don’t know anything about it. What was up with that anyway?” Daichi stands from the rock he’s sitting on and walks in front of Kuroo. “Who are _they_? How were _they_ ‘wrong’ about me?”

Kuroo stops his fiddling and studies Daichi, reads his eyes which is something that is easier now that the sky is lightening as dawn is starting to break. “I’m not sure you’re ready to hear it,” he shakes his head.

Daichi’s face turns incredulous “What?! That’s not fair. You got me into trouble because of it. You owe me the truth for that.”

“And that’s the truth,” Kuroo insists. “Look,” he licks his lips. “This is not the time nor the place to be talking about this. And I personally don’t think you’re ready to know. You’re still close-minded so…not yet.”

Daichi takes little offense at being called close-minded but has a feeling that he cannot make Kuroo talk about it and resists the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. But he’s not going to give up. He still needs answers. “Fine,” he says with a huff. “Don’t tell me about it. But tell me this, how did you escape?” He pushes an accusing finger on Kuroo’s chest.

Kuroo looks down on it and swipes it away pointedly. “I woke up to a commotion happening in one of the cells, too loud and too many guards for comfort. I was about to check what it was about when something was thrown into my cell. I picked it up and it was the keys. Only a fool wouldn’t take the opportunity, so I did.”

_Spoken like a true criminal_ , Daichi thinks, but he stays quiet.

“Grabbed whatever hanging clothes I got my hands on and made a mad dash through the forest. Then you not-so-gently bumped into me and here we are. Satisfied?” Kuroo ask with a raised brow.

“The guards didn’t see you?” Kuroo shrugs with a mischievous smirk.

Daichi rolls his eyes and shakes his head but relents.

“What are you going to do now?” Kuroo unexpectedly asks him.

Daichi pauses stiffly. That is a question he also likes an answer to, because for once, he doesn’t have a definite one.

“I-I don’t know.” He deflates and steps back from Kuroo.

An upside of having your life planned out for you is that you’re left with nothing to worry or think about, especially with what to do with your future. But now that he’s suddenly thrown into this kind of predicament, he can’t help but feel that that kind of life makes work cut out for him.

“I’ve just been told to run away as far as I can, but I don’t know where, or how far, or how long I should keep running, how long should I hide. I don’t know!” He throws his hands in the air.

“I have to find the Compendiums to prove my innocence, but I don’t know where to start looking. And if I find it, then what? Will they even take me back? Will I have my life back?” His throat constricts while the sides of his eyes prick with welling tears, as the real possibility of not having a normal life back, not seeing his friends and family, crashes into him.

To think that just yesterday, he’s a stickler to the rules, Head Book Keeper, with his future mapped out for him, and just needs to consult his Book. Now… now he’s a runaway, mistaken outlaw travelling with a real, _actual_ one, uncertain of what the next moment would bring and unsure about how this will affect the course of his whole life.

Adrenaline gives way to exhaustion, frustration, and fear that comes out of him as tears, a sob that welled-up from deep within breaks his voice and shakes his shoulders. Never mind that he’s showing vulnerability in front of what he considers an enemy.

This is simply all too much for him to take at the moment.

Kuroo stays quiet and lets him be, looks anywhere but him to give him some semblance of privacy. He offers Daichi a hesitant squeeze on the shoulder that is probably meant to be comforting. Daichi’s somehow surprised by the action, but nevertheless felt grateful for the consideration.

Feeling a touch better at having let it out, he wipes his tears and faces the journey ahead with a slightly restored conviction.

“I know it probably wouldn’t mean much to you,” Kuroo hazards, after gauging if it’s alright for him to say something. “But I can take you to the Community and maybe there you’ll find some answers.”

Daichi sniffs. It’s the last place he wants to be in, given his circumstances. He’s close to asking if he has a choice, but thinks better of it, Kuroo’s earlier words echo inside his head.

Choice. Kuroo said he’s always had them. He _can_ choose. Can he really? He’s itching to reach for his book and read it, but a part of him that is scared of what he may find, wavers. He doesn’t know what’s in store for him and he’s not ready to find out.

If he says no, then he’ll have to search for the Compendiums by himself. But where will he start? If he says yes, will he really have answers to his questions? There seem to be more now, than before.

He looks at Kuroo, at the hesitant but hopeful look on his face. While he doesn’t completely trust him, he feels better doing this if he’s with someone, rather than alone. And having a place to start is as good as any. Making his decision, he nods. “Alright. I’ll go with you.”

Kuroo offers him a small smile, one that nearly unbalanced Daichi because it’s the first time that he sees it, and more importantly, it’s sincere. It’s a change from their constant head butting, and frowning and snarling.

“Well, I’m rested enough,” Kuroo says, lifting himself from the tree trunk he’s been leaning on. “Shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!!

**Author's Note:**

> My one (1) brain cell helped with the world-building so please excuse any holes so far. Hopefully, the next chapter/s will shed more light.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Happy Holidays everyone!! <3


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